Parent coach Jen Kiss leads a course for Parented. Photo: Heather Hanson Photography
For new parents and parents of young children, there are many classes and groups offering support and education to help parents raise healthy, happy kids who are ready to take on elementary school. But once those kids start school, where can parents go when they still have questions or are looking to continue their parenting education? Enter Shilpa Guthikonda and Sarah Hardy, two Edina residents, each with their own parent education classes and each on a mission to help parents get the expert help and support they need.
Guthikonda launched Parented in December 2023. She was inspired by Amma Parenting Center classes she attended when she was a new mom. Amma is dedicated to educating parents about birth, newborns and infants. Guthikonda felt like she needed more as her children grew. She envisioned Parented to be a place that would take parents beyond the early years. “Most programs stop after the toddler years,” she says. “But that’s when it really gets hard. That’s when you really need help and a coach.”
Guthikonda formed a network of experts, including parent coaches and educators, that she could call on to develop in-person courses for parents on basic topics like screen time, picky eaters, discipline and anxiety as well as more targeted courses, including neurodiversity and raising girls with confidence. “We elevate and gather amazing parent educators and therapists to make it easy for parents to access the guidance they need, when they need it the most,” she says. “I want people to not suffer in silence. I want them to find their community.”
Shilpa Guthikonda. Photo: Pure North Media
Hardy admits becoming a parent was a tough transition for her. “We don’t talk enough about the things that are really hard,” she says. “I find parenting to be a challenging thing.”
Even though Hardy says she felt supported by her family, it wasn’t until she signed up for an Early Childhood Family Education (ECFE) class that she finally started to feel less alone on her parenting journey. “It was lifesaving for me,” she says. “A community of support and guidance.”
The experience was so transformative that Hardy ended up going back to school in 2014 to get her master’s degree in parent and family education from the University of Minnesota. She worked as a licensed parent educator in Edina Public Schools until 2020 when COVID-19 hit and her position was cut. Hardy wasn’t deterred. That summer, she started Generations Parenting Support (GPS) and hit the ground running by teaching parents how to talk to kids about race and skin color.
Hardy still teaches that class, as well as a series of online and in-person classes focused on age and stage like 2-year-olds to 5-year-olds and middle school boys. Hardy also offers individual sessions, private groups and book studies. “My favorite thing is helping parents realize they’re not alone,” she says.
Hardy also loves watching parents learn from one another. “I love seeing parents realize how much they know …Humans learn through conversations and community,” she says.
Edina mom Jenny Griskevicius has participated in three of Hardy’s book studies and six courses overall. “Your need to learn doesn’t stop just because your kids aren’t in ECFE anymore,” she says, noting Hardy’s ability to blend her knowledge and skills with experience and practical advice.
“Sarah facilitates lively group discussions, offers judgment-free feedback and laughs with us,” Griskevicius says. “I always walk out of a Sarah class feeling supported, validated and better prepared to be the parent I want to be.”
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